1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved chair and, more particularly, to a chair which provides a number of features that make its use desirable for the elderly.
2. Background of the Invention
A typical chair includes a seat member and a back rest that are interconnected by a support frame. The support frame includes arm rests and sometimes the back rest is contoured to facilitate comfort. While width and depth varies from chair to chair, many chairs have a width that is just slightly greater than that of the average pelvis and a depth that can be significant. Moreover, the seat member is usually about 17 inches from the base of the chair.
For many people, the typical chair provides an adequate amount of comfort and is readily accessible. With many of the elderly, however, the typical chair can be very inadequate. In particular, the height and depth constraints of the average chair can create a significant burden to those who encounter physical difficulties with lowering themselves considerable distances. Moreover, for those with any sort of back problems, the typical back rest can be extremely uncomfortable since the typical back rest frequently is configured to a curvature which does not provide any substantial lumbar support.
As can be appreciated, the above-mentioned problem regarding seat height can be alleviated by raising the seat. Simply raising the seat, however, does not readily present an adequate solution, particularly for relatively shorter people, since as the chair is raised it becomes more difficult to keep the feet comfortably on the floor. Moreover, upon raising the seat, the chair's proportions become skewed unless adequate accommodation is made in the arm rests and the back rest.
There is clearly a need for a chair that effectively raises the seat without impairing the important functions of the chair, such as providing desirable levels of support for, among other things, the feet, the arms and the back. An improved chair for the elderly would be considerably more useful if arm rests that facilitate the lowering and raising of the elderly person into the chair, were provided. Moreover, a wider and shallower chair would considerably alleviate many of the physical and/or psychological problems associated with comfortably fitting into and sitting in the typical chair.